A Note from Mr. Surdam
August 20, 2024
I hope you all had a restful and fun filled summer!!! My name is Craig Surdam and I am happy to be joining the Watertown High School Counseling Team as your school counselor this year! I have been a high school counselor for the past three years in Maine and previously interned with the Watertown High School Guidance Department. In addition to moving from Maine to Waltham this summer, I was able to spend some time on the Cape hiking, biking, and relaxing on the beach. I am excited to meet you all and hear about what you have been up to the past few months and as well as what your plans are moving forward!
A note about schedules
I am currently reviewing schedules to make sure that you have all of your required classes and are making progress toward graduation requirements. You will receive an email on Friday (August 23) when schedules are visible in PowerSchool. Before Friday, you may receive an email from me if I have a question about your schedule or if there is an unavoidable conflict that I'd like to discuss with you, so please check your email.
Your schedule was built based on the requests that you made in the Spring. If there was an unavoidable conflict or a class was at capacity, I may have added a different class to your schedule to make sure you are enrolled in enough credits and are making progress toward graduation. We can look at alternatives, but it can be difficult to make changes to courses. Remember that schedules changes must be made before the first day of school (by Friday, August 30) or during the Add/Drop period (September 12-20).
A note about my role
In addition to a brief hello, I did want to remind you of the ways in which I can support students and families throughout the course of the year. I hope that you will consider me as the starting point for your questions - from how to contact a teacher to how to get involved in the school community to how to access the lunch schedule! Below are some of the main resources and supports I, as your school counselor, can provide:
- individual student appointments (students can sign up online) to discuss social-emotional, academic, and college and career topics
- meetings with parents/guardians to discuss ways to support their student and answer questions about post-secondary planning
- meetings to discuss course selection and schedule changes
- opportunities to learn about special opportunities such as internships, summer programs, and jobs
- communication through our Smore (newsletters are included with the principal’s emails and posted here), Guidance website, and student Google Classroom about events and resources
- evening presentations focused on topics such as post-secondary planning, financial aid, and more.
Craig Surdam